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The taxonomy, diversity, and distribution of the aquatic insect order Trichoptera, caddisflies, are reviewed. The order is among the most important and diverse of all aquatic taxa. Larvae are vital participants in aquatic food webs and their presence and relative abundance are used in the biological assessment and monitoring of water quality. The species described by Linnaeus are listed. The morphology of all life history stages (adults, larvae, and pupae) is diagnosed and major features of the anatomy are illustrated. Major components of life history and biology are summarized. A discussion of phylogenetic studies within the order is presented, including higher classification of the suborders and superfamilies, based on recent literature. Synopses of each of 45 families are presented, including the taxonomic history of the family, a list of all known genera in each family, their general distribution and relative species diversity, and a short overview of family-level biological features. The order contains 600 genera, and approximately 13,000 species. Key words: Trichoptera, caddisflies, morphology, taxonomy, phylogeny, distribution, diversity, Linnaaeus

Recent work on a catalog of the Neotropical caddisflies has resulted in the recognition of the need to make numerous lectotype designations, new names for homonyms, specific and generic synonymies, transfers of species between genera and genera between families, and placement of many long ignored names of Muller and others.